Objective:

To perform the cultural adaptation and validation of a European-spoken Portuguese version of the Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire (MTBQ).

Methods:

After the original scale author’s authorization, translation, verification of the most accurate translation, and backward translation were performed. Then, an observational cross-sectional study was conducted in a convenience sample of patients with multimorbidity (MM) using the Portuguese version of the MTBQ named STPM, which was applied twice in two distinct moments. All participants signed the informed consent form and context information like sex, self-reported number of diseases, and the “Socio-Economic Deprivation Index” (SEDI). Data were analysed using descriptive, inferential, and factorial statistics.

Results:

In a 100-people sample, 63% of women, STPM showed good reliability (α=0.742) and a positive and significant correlation (ρ=0.916, p<0.001) in the test-retest application. Factorial analysis revealed three factors representing 58.3% of the total variance. A negative and non-significant correlation (ρ=-0.117, p=0.246) between STPM and SEDI scores was verified. STPM score was not different for sex (p=0.750), age group (p=0.853), family context (p=0.745), level of education (p=0.340), and average monthly income (p=0.177). STPM’s score was significantly different compared to the number of self-reported diseases: two-four diseases 15.1±5.9, and more than four, 22.2±7.6, p<0.001.

Discussion:

The non-existence of an instrument in European Portuguese allowing the measurement of treatment burden in people with Multimorbidity made this study necessary, adapting the “Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire” to European spoken Portuguese, hopefully allowing to find the reason for poor therapeutic results.

Conclusion:

The Portuguese version of the MTBQ, the STPM is a useful, consistent, reliable, accessible easy to understand, and short time to fill-in tool independently of age, sex, and economic status.

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